Cookies – the small fragments of information which are stored by a web server in the text files on the user/client hard disk. These data are sent back to the server each time when there is a query to the server page via the browser.
In most cases, cookies contain personalized user data which are applied for exchanging data between various web pages. Cookies are used for rapid interaction between users and websites.
What do cookies consist of?
- Server name which cookies were sent from.
- Their life cycle.
- Value (randomly generated a unique number).
There are two types of cookies which are recorded on the clients’ machines:
- session cookies – active only while the browser is opened;
- persistent cookies – continuously recorded on the clients’ machines and stored for months and years.
The cookies storage place depends on the browser type. Sometimes the specialists conduct cookies testing which may be tightly connected with such checking types as web application testing and mobile testing.
What cookies aspects should be tested?
- Cookies busting – one should check the site functionality with the turned off cookies.
- Cookies damage – it is necessary to edit cookies in Notepad and install random parameter values.
- Encapsulated cookies – restricted data (usernames, passwords) should be filled before it is sent to the client’s computer – security checking.
- Cookies checking on different browsers.
- Testing the removing cookies from the computer.
- Cookies access – cookies, stored by one browser, should not be available on any others.
- The absence of the cookies abuse (especially if it is a public page).
- Functional testing of the website with diverse cookies parameters.